So, Is Anyone From the Vlog Squad Going to Talk About Those Old, Racist Videos?
By Abi TravisJun. 17 2020, Updated 6:36 p.m. ET
So many of us are having conversations around the topic of racism at the moment — which is superb! As we all continue to take part in what's (finally) becoming a national dialog, we’re additionally seeing a lot of public figures referred to as out for their very own problematic behavior. One of the latest teams accused of racism is the Vlog Squad.
On June 2, 2020, former Vlog Squad member Seth Francois posted a video to YouTube during which he expressed his discomfort over participating in some Vlog Squad videos that he felt were racist (or a minimum of had racial undertones).
Did Seth Francois call the Vlog Squad racist?
At the start of his video, entitled “'Accountability’ to all Content Creators,” Seth obviously states that he’s not seeking to “cancel” any individual. “This video is not intended to damage or harm someone’s popularity,” he says. He also says that he thinks incorrect information and a lack of education are on the root of the problem in lots of circumstances, and that he thinks talking brazenly is one of the best ways to combat that.
Seth additionally apologizes at the beginning of the video for participating in probably the most problematic Vlog Squad content, pronouncing, “I first off just truly want to express regret from the ground of my heart for taking a part in this type of content and now not taking a stand for my other people, and also simply make an apology to my pals which might be fascinated by those videos to allow them to know that I’m sorry for not speaking up and saying 'these things is mistaken.'"
Seth doesn’t call anyone out by name in the video, but rather asks for some accountability from the people behind the problematic content (which happens to include several members of the Vlog Squad, including, most notably, David Dobrik).
He then goes on to share a few clips of old Vlog Squad videos that definitely don’t portray the squad members in a great light. There are several “jokes” that promote racial stereotypes, a joke about blackface, and a “prank” that involved David Dobrik bringing Seth (who is Black) to the police station and turning him in for not paying parking tickets.
David Dobrik has yet to respond to Seth’s video.
As you might expect, the reactions to Seth’s video have been pretty split, with many of David Dobrik’s devoted fans trying to poke holes in Seth’s logic. “Yeah but you were okay with it at the moment right? When you were riding the wave? Now its David’s fault. YOU are responsible for your own actions,” one commenter wrote.
I will let my community speak for me. The kids that work for me inspire your favorite creators.
Others have accused Seth of “chasing clout” rather than actually trying to start a dialogue. “I mean I get what you’re saying Seth but if you were really trying to help them you could have done this personally,” another commented. “They’ve all come out and actively supported the movement and donated. These are all bits you’ve supported too at the time.”
While it’s true that David Dobrik and other Vlog Squad members have donated to worthy causes in the past few weeks, Seth makes it pretty clear that he doesn’t think that’s enough. In the caption of another video, he says, “Donating, protesting, and posting are all great but accountability comes first.”
“You all see me online admitting where I was wrong but these caucasian influencers that directly contributed to the issues I was speaking about in my last video, only want to cover up [their] past actions with donations and protesting. You know who you are we want accountability.”
At least for now, it seems as though the Vlog Squad’s reaction to Seth’s video has been to lay low and not respond directly. We’ll have to stay tuned to see whether that changes anytime soon.
If you are looking for ways to donate your time or money to Black Lives Matter and other antiracist organizations, we have created a listing of sources to get you started.
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